The present application relates to an air belt configured for a bag-shaped belt to be inflated by means of gas supplied from an inflator so as to keep an occupant of a motor vehicle under restraint when the motor vehicle encounters a car crash or the like, and an air belt apparatus using the same. More specifically, the present invention relates to an air belt and an air belt apparatus in which a folded back body of the bag-shaped belt is surrounded by a cover, and in which the folded back body and the cover are bonded with a bonding agent.
A conventional air belt apparatus is described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 11-165603 and Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 11-255057 (both of which are incorporated by reference herein).
These air belts, which include an extendable cover and a folded back body, are characterized in that an inner surface of the cover is bonded with an outer surface of the folded back body. The folded back body is formed by folding a bag-shaped belt, which is inflated by introducing gas, so as to have a belt-like shape. The extendable cover covers the folded back body of the bag-shaped belt.
In such an air belt, the outer surface of the folded back body and the inner surface of the cover are bonded. Thus, the cover cannot freely move relative to the folded back body.
In the Japanese Publication No. 11-165603, FIGS. 4(c) and 4(d) describe bonded portions that are spaced-apart and are disposed on the folded back body in a longitudinal direction in a manner of a line-like shape.